There are many dangerous situations today where it is necessary to filter the air that is inhaled and exhaled by human beings. In recent times, there has been concern for public safety with respect to detrimental effects of prolonged exposure of the general public to pollution in the form of airborne particulates, with the most common forms typically encountered consisting of automotive exhaust, industrial pollutions, smoke whether caused by uncontrolled fires or from nearby manufacturing plants, dust, dirt, pollens and infectious biological agents and infectious diseases.
Though rarely encountered, there has been concern for public safety with respect to biological attacks on the public with the potential for biological attacks believed to be primarily in the form of airborne chemicals or biological agents. Concern has also risen among the general public regarding protection from airborne infectious diseases such as SARS or a potential flu pandemic.
Areas for the conveyance and contact of potentially harmful airborne particulates include, but are not limited to public gatherings such as shopping malls, sporting events, educational institutions, hospitals/medical facilities, workplaces, urban environments, and mass public transportation. When in a public setting, many people have no warning or the ability to reduce potential exposure to potentially harmful airborne particulates, and consequently may have no choice but to stay within a contained and/or confined, and/or closed area until one has the ability to depart from a particular area. During this time, potential unhealthy airborne particulates can be released (e.g. poisons, automotive exhausts, dust, fluids, soot, and smoke) and/or unhealthy, infectious aerosols can be transmitted from one person to another. In other instances, many people can be susceptible to illness from irritants such as nauseous odors in the air, and/or airborne allergens (e.g. dust and pollens) can further increase problems for people with allergies and/or those who have respiratory symptoms of asthma and/or low immune systems.
Much effort has been expended toward the development and designing of safety apparel to provide protection from unhealthy airborne particulates. For instance, in many hospitals and doctor's offices, medical personnel wear protective facemasks that come in various configurations and are standard procedure in the medical and healthcare fields. Medical and surgical facemasks are primarily used by medical staff to protect themselves and others from bacteria/virus transmission by way of airborne aerosols. Infectious diseases and/or a bacterial virus are most commonly transmitted by close and/or actual contact from one person to another. But medical and surgical facemasks are not commonly used outside of the medical setting.
In addition to the above, other more complex mask systems have been developed. One such example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,340 entitled FILTER MASK issued to Finch and Ellison on Jan. 15, 2002. The Finch and Ellison filter mask includes a disposable filter element sized to cover the nose and mouth of a user and to be worn in conditions of fire and smoke inhalation.
While the Finch and Ellison filter mask device may be effective in reducing the likelihood of smoke inhalation and airborne particulates, this device and like the simpler facemasks mentioned above, have drawbacks. Namely, such masks are not commonly carried and are not commonly worn by the general public. Furthermore, such masks are obtrusive and not constructed to be worn in an inconspicuous and/or concealed manner.
Furthermore, facemasks are not readily and/or easily accessible to the general public unless one is at a hospital or medical facility where facemasks are commonly provided. It is often inconvenient for people to carry a facemask along with them when out in a public area, and/or not something most people remember to do or practice doing unless they are in the habit of doing so or have a type of medical condition that requires them to do so.
Even when a facemask may be warranted or should at least be used for precautionary measures, the public is generally reluctant to wear a facemask due to the possible social stigma and the obtrusiveness of a facemask, being aesthetically displeasing. In a public setting, the wearing of a facemask can be intimidating for the wearer and can be particularly frightening to those around the wearer who may view the facemask as threatening. Room for improvement remains in the art.
Another drawback to facemask is they can be uncomfortable. A primary complaint of wearers of facemasks is that after an extended period of time the facemask can cause abrasion at the contact points between the facemask and the wearer's skin, and more particularly, along the periphery of the facemask. Such abrasion leads to chaffing and redness accompanied by discomfort. Further, many securing devices on facemasks are ear loops or tie fasteners, but the ear loops can be uncomfortable and tie fasteners are known to be difficult to fasten at the back of the head and can be a major problem when an emergency situation occurs and time is of the essence.
As a result of the above drawbacks, it would be desirable to improve the general public's wearing of a filter element in a public setting when the need may be warranted, for instance, in the case of soot and/or smoke or biological attack, or for precautionary measures for example, to protect oneself from vehicle exhaust or cigarette smoke.